Planning Lagos

The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. 1. Part of the old Shitta Motque. 2. Old Tinubu Square with fh# former Supreme Court in th* foreground. ^^^^_^^J succeeding material is by no means quaint, despite the 3. Former Carter time of its composition. It was Bridge. originally intended foi presentation [courtesy: Boyles Bar) before a distinguished and learned gathering of surveyors and builders (Royal Institute of Surveyors) who met in Lagos in August 1994 to hobnob on emergent trends in their work at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja; these without the least shred of doubt were the planners and builders of Lagos and Nigeria. Their theme centred around 'Change and Continuity' in the building industry and the key speaker's choice of subject was very useful in setting the tone and the mood as well as sharpening the focus for the assembly's onward exchanges. The concern of the speaker, David Aradeon, his depth, clarity of tone and close familiarity with his subject (specifically the old, and in most cases now extinct, buildings of Lagos) should be little surprising once we are reminded of his resume: foremost Nigerian architect and scholar; indeed describable in his own language as one of 'the children of the city'. Any surprise then that the story of the emergence, glory and widespread demolition (some voluntarily went down in flames) of vital historical buildings and violation of public spaces, parks and gardens for private use is retold with nostalgia and in parts, restrained outburst ? Some of the more memorable being the old Supreme Court building on Tinubu Square which yielded its space along with other buildings (including the Orange House owned by the Hon Otunba Payne and the residence of Henry Carr designed by Herbert Macaulay) to the now famous Tinubu fountain; the old race course, formerly a stretch of empty space and greenery in the city's heartland, reserved for horse racing and schools' National Day parades (which the author partook in as a child) that has also been swallowed up by the pressnt massive cordons of shopping African Qvarurly on the Arts •H VtlllNOl I ! of Tradition 5 « m * s «• * I I is African Quarterly on the A rts VolUNOl complexes. MR. SAM EMIOWELE, Q.S, requested in The extinction of old Lagos and its oral history articulated through concrete structures just that I speak at this conference, and impressive Brazilian masonry is now eduled for September, I had less than a nearly complete. In a sense, whilst we hope nth to put my ideas together. I accepted out with the professionals and members of the informed community that awareness among espect for an old friend to whom I am administrators and decision makers in the ebted. country would help to preserve whatever is left or simply stem the tide of 'the unmaking Fortunately, the conference had to be postponed; even of tradition', this publication is contrived though the political climate for which the postponement was chiefly to pay a tribute to 'fallen Lagos' and made remains largely uncertain, I have had the opportunity to its landmark structures that now remain only David in the minds of those who grew up to know rework my ideas them. Aradeon Sam and I collaborated on a number of projects for which The mission of awareness is by no means we were never paid: the Linear Park, the Lagos State, State House secondary. For as Professor Aradeon onJoelOgunnaike, GRA, Ikeja, and the Faculty of Environmental observes in one of our many recent Design, University of Lagos just to mention some of the most discussions, the tide of waterfront violation exciting. (through sandfilling) again for private houses, is taking over where that of historical A number of weeks ago, the Governor of Lagos went to structures and public spaces left off. As a court over the sharing of public land by the Federal Government. result of this, sections of the Lagos Island (particularly the Victoria Island) became Even though the controversy appears to centre on the conflicts of waterlogged late last year. But work has rights of ownership of land between the State and the Centre, a since re- intensified at sandfilling sites on the larger and even more fundamental issue is at stake. ' famous1 Osborne Road As the Osborne Road land is the site of the Linear Park and lately also, at the Takwa Bay, among which we designed in 1 985, this case promises to raise a whole countless others, drawing much protest from concerned professional unions. series of questions, the most important of which is the issue of public versus private interest; the role of public officials especially Fortunately, concern over the preservation of those in locus' charged with the responsibility of protecting our historical sites and buildings is attracting more international attention. From March system of public parks and public spaces against usurpation and 11,1996, over a period of five days, the appropriation by public action for private interest. United Nations agent for development UNDP spearheaded a conference in Our commitment to the environment appears to be a Bamako, Mali, during which the problem lifetime commitment to issues of public interest The current was given a closer consideration by African political, econopnic and social climate has brought the issues scholars and builders Predictably, Professor more clearly to all of us. Aradeon was in attendance, but his focus lens this time fell on the historical centres of Also, as an Adjunct Lecturer for the years 1980-1984 lle-lfe. when I was Dean of the Faculty and, 1 984-1 986 when I was He recommends to the Bamako conference Department Head, Sam taught Building Economics to generations as he does here that solution to the problem of our students. He was never fully paid his stipulated honorarium is double-edged: increased awareness for many of those years by the University. So as a teacher and among legislative and administrative bodies inspite of indications to the contrary, he shares the hopeless as well as a revision of the schools' curricular to inclose more cultural education. optimism of the teacher and the environmental poverty of our So is a shift of emphasis in professional education system. My presence here today will in no way be a training and orientation to restorative requital of my debts to Mr. Emiowele, if at all, this opportunity to architecture. be present here increases my personal debt I wish to thank the The Editor. Royal Institution of Surveyors for your formal invitation, the privilege to meet and make new friends as well as renew old acquaintances. 1he financial burden imposed on us As surveyors either of the (1) form giving landscape, or (2) of the genre for cost control or (3) of the disposition that nurtures in the last IS years has had a the building for environmental value added, my knowledge of devastating impact on our lives. It your work is at best perfunctory. Therefore I will not even attempt was time we insisted on our lights as to articulate your specializations in this presentation. Rather, in citizens to be consulted at every level seeking a common ground, I would like to speak to you about of governance before a long, what you already know, partly from your professional work and especially a contractor financed partly from your everyday process of living and moving around project loan, is negotiated. in your part of this country. African Quarterly on the Am VoLllNO3 Governor's residence on the Marino, the old race course's green open fields peeping in from the north. The trees and shrubs are gone Today, I would like to share with you some of my structure the transportation system on the private motor car. observations and concerns as an average citizen, whose work is The current crisis over the 'correct pricing' of fuel illustrates part of a larger process that shapes and whose life in turn is so succinctly the economic impact on the average workers' shaped by the built environment of this city of Lagos. income. For those on a monthly income of a thousand naira or less, it would make better economic sense to work near the home The City: A Corporate Entity - for less income. In a 1 988 paper, I further observed that on the Compounding Functional Problems Marina, the use of the long strip of land from the State House to I am certain that the real estate surveyors and valuers must the UTC for car parking constitutes an eyesore as well as an inexcusable waste of prime urban land. have noticed a front page publication in the Financial Times of the week, of August 30th. The chairman of the Lagos Island Local Overloading the Debt Burden Government Council announced that construction would soon In addition to these observations, I would now like to raise begin on a N300,000,000 'Multi-storey car park' structure on a number of questions on this proposed N300,000,000 (phase the Marina. The announcement associated Messrs Bouygues I) elevated car park structure on this site. Construction with this project, possibly as a turnkey contractor. First, considering the current cost of the motor car today, As citizens and end users, I would like to ask you to detach how viable is this project as an investment on public transportation? yourself from your professional interests for a moment and think Is there not a viable alternative? The mass transportation system about this project from the interest of the average tax payers.

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